the island pharisees-第29章

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The　visitor　called　Berryman　sat　down；　and　gazed　up　at　the　wall　with

his　fine　eyes。



Shelton　had　a　faint　remembrance　of　this　don；　and　bowed；　but　the　new…

comer　sat　smiling；　and　did　not　notice　the　salute。



〃Trimmer　and　Washer　are　coming　round；〃　he　said；　and　as　he　spoke　the

door　opened　to　admit　these　gentlemen。　　Of　the　same　height；　but

different　appearance；　their　manner　was　faintly　jocular；　faintly

supercilious；　as　if　they　tolerated　everything。　　The　one　whose　name

was　Trimmer　had　patches　of　red　on　his　large　cheek…bones；　and　on　his

cheeks　a　bluish　tint。　　His　lips　were　rather　full；　so　that　he　had　a

likeness　to　a　spider。　　Washer；　who　was　thin　and　pale；　wore　an

intellectual　smile。



The　little　fat　host　moved　the　hand　that　held　the　meerschaum。



〃Crocker；　Shelton；〃　he　said。



An　awkward　silence　followed。　　Shelton　tried　to　rouse　the　cultured

portion　of　his　wits；　but　the　sense　that　nothing　would　be　treated

seriously　paralysed　his　faculties；　he　stayed　silent；　staring　at　the

glowing　tip　of　his　cigar。　　It　seemed　to　him　unfair　to　have　intruded

on　these　gentlemen　without　its　having　been　made　quite　clear　to　them

beforehand　who　and　what　he　was；　he　rose　to　take　his　leave；　but　Washer

had　begun　to　speak。



〃Madame　Bovary！〃　he　said　quizzically；　reading　the　title　of　the　book

on　the　little　fat　man's　bookrest；　and；　holding　it　closer　to　his

boiled…looking　eyes；　he　repeated；　as　though　it　were　a　joke；　〃Madame

Bovary！〃



〃Do　you　mean　to　say；　Turl；　that　you　can　stand　that　stuff？〃　said

Berryman。



As　might　have　been　expected；　this　celebrated　novel's　name　had

galvanised　him　into　life；　he　strolled　over　to　the　bookcase；　took　down

a　book；　opened　it；　and　began　to　read；　wandering　in　a　desultory　way

about　the　room。



〃Ha！　　Berryman；〃　said　a　conciliatory　voice　behindit　came　from

Trimmer；　who　had　set　his　back　against　the　hearth；　and　grasped　with

either　hand　a　fistful　of　his　gown〃the　book's　a　classic！〃



〃Classic！〃　exclaimed　Berryman；　transfixing　Shelton　with　his　eyes；

〃the　fellow　ought　to　have　been　horsewhipped　for　writing　such

putridity！〃



A　feeling　of　hostility　instantly　sprang　up　in　Shelton；　he　looked　at

his　little　host；　who；　however；　merely　blinked。



〃Berryman　only　means；〃　explains　Washer；　a　certain　malice　in　his

smile；　〃that　the　author　is　n't　one　of　his　particular　pets。〃



〃For　God's　sake；　you　know；　don't　get　Berryman　on　his　horse！〃　　growled

the　little　fat　man　suddenly。



Berryman　returned　his　volume　to　the　shelf　and　took　another　down。

There　was　something　almost　godlike　in　his　sarcastic　absent…

mindedness。



〃Imagine　a　man　writing　that　stuff；〃　he　said；　〃if　he'd　ever　been　at

Eton！　　What　do　we　want　to　know　about　that　sort　of　thing？　　A　writer

should　be　a　sportsman　and　a　gentleman〃；　and　again　he　looked　down　over

his　chin　at　Shelton；　as　though　expecting　him　to　controvert　the

sentiment。



〃Don't　you〃　began　the　latter。



But　Berryman's　attention　had　wandered　to　the　wall。



〃I　really　don't　care；〃　said　he；　〃to　know　what　a　woman　feels　when　she

is　going　to　the　dogs；　it　does　n't　interest　me。〃



The　voice　of　Trimmer　made　things　pleasant：



〃Question　of　moral　standards；　that；　and　nothing　more。〃



He　had　stretched　his　legs　like　compasses；and　the　way　he　grasped　his

gown…wings　seemed　to　turn　him　to　a　pair　of　scales。　　His　lowering

smile　embraced　the　room；　deprecating　strong　expressions。　　〃After

all；〃　he　seemed　to　say；　〃we　are　men　of　the　world；　we　know　there　's

not　very　much　in　anything。　　This　is　the　modern　spirit；　why　not　give

it　a　look　in？〃



〃Do　I　understand　you　to　say；　Berryman；　that　you　don't　enjoy　a　spicy

book？〃　asked　Washer　with　his　smile；　and　at　this　question　the　little

fat　man　sniggered；　blinking　tempestuously；　as　if　to　say；　〃Nothing

pleasanter；　don't　you　know；　before　a　hot　fire　in　cold　weather。〃



Berryman　paid　no　attention　to　the　impertinent　inquiry；　continuing　to

dip　into　his　volume　and　walk　up　and　down。



〃I've　nothing　to　say；〃　he　remarked；　stopping　before　Shelton；　and

looking　down；　as　if　at　last　aware　of　him；　〃to　those　who　talk　of　being

justified　through　Art。　　I　call　a　spade　a　spade。〃



Shelton　did　not　answer；　because　he　could　not　tell　whether　Berryman

was　addressing　him　or　society　at　large。　　And　Berryman　went　on：



〃Do　we　want　to　know　about　the　feelings　of　a　middle…class　woman　with　a

taste　for　vice？　　　Tell　me　the　point　of　it。　　No　man　who　was　in　the

habit　of　taking　baths　would　choose　such　a　subject。〃



〃You　come　to　the　question　of…ah…subjects；〃　the　voice　of　Trimmer

genially　buzzed　he　had　gathered　his　garments　tight　across　his　back…

〃my　dear　fellow；　Art；　properly　applied；　justifies　all　subjects。〃



〃For　Art；〃　squeaked　Berryman；　putting　back　his　second　volume　and

taking　down　a　third；　〃you　have　Homer；　Cervantes；　Shakespeare；　Ossian；

for　garbage；　a　number　of　unwashed　gentlemen。〃



There　was　a　laugh；　Shelton　glanced　round　at　all　in　turn。　　With　the

exception　of　Crocker；　who　was　half　asleep　and　smiling　idiotically；

they　wore；　one　and　all；　a　look　as　if　by　no　chance　could　they　consider

any　subject　fit　to　move　their　hearts；　as　if；　one　and　all；　they　were

so　profoundly　anchored　on　the　sea　of　life　that　waves　could　only　seem

impertinent。　　It　may　have　been　some　glimmer　in　this　glance　of

Shelton's　that　brought　Trimmer　once　more　to　the　rescue　with　his

compromising　air。



〃The　French；〃　said　he；　〃have　quite　a　different　standard　from

ourselves　in　literature；　just　as　they　have　a　different　standard　in

regard　to　honour。　　All　this　is　purely　artificial。〃



What　he；　meant；　however；　Shelton　found　it　difficult　to　tell。



〃Honour；〃　said　Washer；　〃'l'honneur；　die　Ehre'　duelling；　unfaithful

wives…〃



He　was　clearly　going　to　add　to　this；　but　it　was　lost；　for　the　little

fat　man；　taking　the　meerschaum　with　trembling　fingers；　and　holding　it

within　two　inches　of　his　chin；　murmured：



〃You　fellows；　Berryman's　awf'ly　strong　on　honour。〃



He　blinked　twice；　and　put　the　meerschaum　back　between　his　lips。



Without　returning　the　third　volume　to　its　shelf；　Berryman　took　down　a

fourth；　with　chest　expanded；　he　appeared　about　to　use　the　books　as

dumb…bells。



〃Quite　so；〃　said　Trimmer；　〃the　change　from　duelling　to　law　courts　is

profoundly…〃



Whether　he　were　going　to　say　〃significant〃　or　〃insignificant；〃　in

Shelton's　estimate　he　did　not　know　himself。　　Fortunately　Berryman

broke　in：



〃Law　courts　or　not；　when　a　man　runs　away　with　a　wife　of　mine；　I　shall

punch　his　head！〃



〃Come；　come！〃　　said　Turner；　spasmodically　grasping　his　two　wings。



Shelton　had　a　gleam　of　inspiration。　　〃If　your　wife　deceived　you；〃　he

thought；　looking　at　Trimmer's　eyes；　〃you　'd　keep　it　quiet；　and　hold

it　over　her。〃



Washer　passed　his　hand　over　his　pale　chaps：　his　smile　had　never

wavered；　he　looked　like　one　for　ever　lost　in　the　making　of　an

epigram。



The　punching　theorist　stretched　his　body；　holding　the　books　level

with　his　shoulders；　as　though　to　stone　his　hearers　with　his　point　of

view。　　His　face　grew　paler；　his　fine　eyes　finer；　his　lips　ironical。

Almost　painful　was　this　combination　of　the　〃strong〃　man　and　the

student　who　was　bound　to　go　to　pieces　if　you　hit　him　a　smart　blow。



〃As　for　forgiving　faithless　wives；〃　he　said；　〃and　all　that　sort　of

thing；　I　don't　believe　in　sentiment。〃



The　words　were　high…pitched　and　sarcastic。　　Shelton　looked　hastily

around。　　All　their　faces　were　complacent。　　He　grew　red；　and　suddenly

remarked；　in　a　soft；　clear　voice：



〃I　see！〃



He　was　conscious　that　he　had　never　before　made　an　impression　of　this

sort；　and　that　he　never　would　again。　　The　cold　hostility　flashing　out

all　round　was　most　enlightening；　it　instantly　gave　way　to　the　polite；

satirical　indulgence　peculiar　to　highly…cultivated　men。　　Crocker　rose

nervously；　he　seemed　scared；　and　was　obviously　relieved　when　Shelton；

following　his　example；　grasped　the　little　fat　man's　hand；　who　said

good…night　in　a　voice　shaken　by　tobacco。



〃Who　are　your　unshaven　frien